Babu Owino Reveals Plan to Introduce New Charges Against Him

Embakasi East MP Babu Owino on Wednesday morning revealed that there is a plot by the Government to have him face a charge of treason, whose penalty is death.

Speaking in an interview on Hot 96, Babu decried mistreatment by government officers and stated: "There are plans to charge me with treason."

Treason in Kenya is punishable by death as per the existing laws.

[caption caption="Babu Owino in the dock following his recent arrest"][/caption]

A number of crimes including sedition, intended to undermine or overthrow the Government, harm or kill the President or instigate or engage in war against the Republic, are deemed acts of treason.

The penal code states that “any person who is guilty of the offence of treason shall be sentenced to death.”

There are currently 1,582 Kenyans sentenced to death by the Courts, but the last executions were carried out in 1987 when Hezekiah Ochuka and Pancras Oteyo Okumu were killed for treason.

The MP has recently been in the headlines after he was arrested twice in a span of four days.

[caption caption="Babu Owino with NASA Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga"][/caption]

He was initially charged with 'causing disaffection against the Presidency' after he made remarks at a campaign stop widely believed to be targeting President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Speaking in Congo area of Kawangware, Babu told the crowd: "If Muammar Gaddafi (Libya) was removed by citizens if Laurent Gbagbo (Ivory Coast) were removed by citizens if Yahya Jammeh (Gambia) was removed by citizens, who are you? Wewe ni mtoto wa mbwa (you are the son of a dog)."

Moments after he was released on bail, he was dramatically re-arrested and charged with assault and causing grievous bodily harm to an aspirant for the Embakasi East MP's seat during the campaign period.

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